Thursday, October 10, 2013

Oct. 10 – On this day in Montana
history in 1918 the Yellowstone Monitor in Glendive printed the entire
statement of Jude A.C. Spencer in sentencing former Dawson County Clerk and
Recorder R.L. Wyman to not less than six years nor more than 12 years at hard
labor for sedition. In the dark days of WWI near hysteria gripped Montana and
the rest of the nation and Spencer’s questioning of the good of the war led to
his conviction. But even the judge seemed conflicted: “It hardly seems possible to me that any man
who has occupied the position that you have … can be guilty of the offense of
which the verdict on the jury has found you.”